


The Harvester

by LunaRowena



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, bad ending xoti
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 04:11:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16442738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaRowena/pseuds/LunaRowena
Summary: 13 Fonauton, 2830Maje IslandHigh Priestess Saewyn,The strangest series of events has occurred. Do you know a young woman named Xoti? She claims to be a friend of yours. She seems a bit unorthodox, but I suspect she will be our deliverance. I should start from the beginning.





	The Harvester

**Author's Note:**

> For Pillars Prompts Weekly #0063: Spooky
> 
> The first time I played through Deadfire I wound up with Xoti's bad ending. A lot of the companions had not so great endings, really. There's a reason I don't write about Watcher Talia much.

__  
3 Fonauton, 2830  
At sea, en route to Port Maje  


High Priestess Saewyn,

It is likely my letters shall reach you all in one go as I shall have no means to mail them before we arrive in Port Maje. _If_ we make it to Port Maje. The sailors here are a superstitious lot who claim the island is haunted ever since the the leadership of the island was assassinated and the Vailians were driven out by Queen Onekaza. Haunted by a Harvester of Guan, can you believe it? Or at least that’s what I’ve deduced from their wild tales of a ghostly figure wielding a lantern and sickle that stalks the island. Of course there are Harvesters of Guan, said I, Her Majesty allowed the Children of the Dawnstars to settle in the region after expelling the Vailians. It is worrying, however, that we’ve had no word from the settlement these last few months…

I suspect it’s merely distraction from a bad harvest, or perhaps no ships willing to visit the region due to these wild stories! Ha! If so, we must fix the situation before the settlement winds up completely cut off from the outside world. It does not give us credit to have our brothers and sisters abandoned.

The new settlers, the Gjyrsc family, Beren and Marani and their children Charim and Aelse, are doing well. The girl worries from the tales of the sailors, but the boy runs around swinging an imaginary sword at imaginary ghosts. They should inject some life into the mission settlement.

Yours Faithfully,  
Dernsc Cracgyn

 

_  
8 Fonauton, 2830  
Maje Island  
_  
High Priestess Saewyn,

I write to you in the most unfortunate circumstances. This letter will not likely reach you for some time and I hope our party will be in a better situation by the time I am able to mail this. We have been shipwrecked! A violent storm fell upon us and broke our poor ship upon the rocks as we rounded the island. The Gjyrsc family and I are unharmed, but our Captain Durnmar has been left with a broken arm and a broken head and two-thirds of the crew are dead.

We have dragged what little possessions and provisions we could find unspoiled out of the wreckage and set up a makeshift camp on the beach to protect ourselves from the elements. The Captain has ordered everyone to stay put and wait for rescue, but what rescue will we find? Ships have been avoiding the island. We must pray that our missive to the settlement at Port Maje was delivered and someone comes looking for us.

Of the family, the mother and daughter are bearing it as best they can, but I don’t think we can stay camped here much longer. The boy Charim views it all as a grand adventure, right out of a mass published novel. I shall try to take some inspiration from his enthusiasm, but I am worried about our amount of supplies.

Yours Faithfully,  
Dernsc Cracgyn

 

_  
11 Fonauton, 2830  
Maje Island  
_  
High Priestess Saewyn,

It is with a heavy hand I write. Captain Durnmar is dead. Fever took him, and indeed is taking many of those injured in the wreck. It is not much longer that we can stay here. Our supplies and manpower grow short. While we have not waited long, I fear no one is coming. I believe our best course of action is to set off across the island to find Port Maje. It should not be that long of a journey and we no longer need to worry about… the injured.

The superstitious sailors of course fight me on this. And with the only sensible man of the lot dead, there is not much I can do to budge them. It may just be myself and the Gjyrsc family. Beren Gjyrsc agrees with me that there’s no hope in remaining here. We are making preparations to set out tomorrow.

Yours Faithfully,  
Dernsc Cracgyn

 

_  
13 Fonauton, 2830  
Maje Island  
_  
High Priestess Saewyn,

The strangest series of events has occurred. Do you know a young woman named Xoti? She claims to be a friend of yours. She seems a bit unorthodox, but I suspect she will be our deliverance. I should start from the beginning.

We set off into the island yesterday; myself, the Gjyrsc family, and one off the sailors called Dunnur. Dunnur had been to the island before and agreed to serve, albeit reluctantly, as our guide. You would think I’d be used to the climate of the Deadfire by now having lived here these past seven years, but I do admit I was a tad overwhelmed by the humidity and the insectoid wildlife as we began our trek. Regardless, we seemed to make good progress our first day.

However, this morning, disaster struck! Dunnur went to collect water and while we waited a little over an hour, he never returned. Assuming he deserted us and headed back toward the beach camp, I was furious, but Gjyrsc convinced me to set off toward the stream to look for him. I was shocked at what we found. Dunnur, dead! Cut to pieces! His shocked, sightless eyes staring up at the sky as the blood dripped from his savaged chest, flayed strips of skin peeling loose. Whatever beast attacked him must have had claws like knives. I covered my nose as Gjyrsc made the sign of Eothas.

I, of course, performed the funeral rites for poor Dunnur as Gjyrsc went back to check on his family. I wish we could have given him more of a proper burial, but it was not a suitable sight for the women and Gjyrsc and I agreed that our party needed to stick together and move along. Whatever savage beast attacked Dunnur could come for us next!

Morale was low, having lost our guide and in such a shocking way. We still endeavored to try to continue onward in the same general direction, hoping we would stay on track and eventually hit the outskirts of Port Maje.

Morale was lower still as the sun began to sink in the sky and we came to the realization we were hopelessly lost. Possibly going in circles if Mrs. Gjyrsc is to be believed. I was beginning to lose all hope, visions of beasts with razor sharp claws dancing through my head, when we came upon a small clearing.

Perched on a stump in the middle of the clearing sat a young woman dressed in green, a sickle and glowing lantern hanging at her belt. A Harvester of Guan! My heart leapt, as we must be nearing the settlement after all!

She held the skull of some animal in one hand and appeared to be in deep conversation with it. “Now I know what you’re gonna say, Watcher. That I shouldn’t’a done it. But I need to… I need to keep reapin’…”

“Ho there!” I called. “Are we nearing Port Maje?”

She looked up and broke into a wide grin as she saw up approaching. She hopped to her feat, tucking her skull in her bag. “If it’s Port Maje you’re lookin’ for, you’ve still got a long ways to go. We’re basically on the other side of the island. How’d you get so lost?”

I recounted our shipwreck as she nodded along sympathetically.

“Ain’t that a shame. I can get you over to Port Maje if that’s where you want to be goin’. New settlers? I love new settlers.”

I explained my mission from the temple to re-establish contact with the settlement and her face brightened.

“Saewyn and I go way back. I’m Xoti, by the way. You’ll have to fill me in on what’s been goin’ on back there.”

We’re setting up camp with our new party addition as I write. Gjyrsc is giving her a wide berth still. I suspect it was the skull. Harvesters can be a bit eccentric so I won’t hold it against her. Xoti has made fast friends with young Aelse by offering to do her hair.

Xoti says we should reach Port Maje in a few days. Circumstances are looking up.

Yours Faithfully,  
Dernsc Cracgyn

 

_  
15 Fonauton, 2830  
Maje Island  
_  
High Priestess Saewyn,

Circumstances are poor. Young Aelse insisted on accompanying Xoti on a scouting expedition this morning and slipped and fell down a ravine. Xoti was not able to recover the body, although she says she was able to recover her soul. Mrs. Gjyrsc is beside herself and even Charim’s sense of adventure has been stifled by the loss of his sister.

\---

Further tragedy has struck! In the night, the grief stricken Marani Gjyrsc went back to look for her daughter and ran afoul of some creatures. Xoti found the body. Poor Mrs. Gjyrsc was ripped apart in the same manner of the unfortunate Dunnur. With how dangerous this island seems to be, I hope that we shall find Port Maje all in one piece.

Yours Faithfully,  
Dernsc Cracgyn

 

_  
16 Fonauton, 2830  
Maje Island  
_  
High Priestess Saewyn,

We make slow progress. I hardly know where we’re going anymore, as we are too deep into the jungle to make sense of the shoreline and the canopy blocks out the stars. Our party is subdued. Gjyrsc will barely look at Xoti, blaming her unfairly for the loss of his wife and daughter.

While my spirits are bolstered by her vivacity, forgive me, I know she is your friend, but there is something a bit… off about her. Occasionally talking to people or referencing things that aren’t there. However, overall she seems harmless enough.

I asked her at the fire this evening about her work as a Harvester of Guan.

She patted the lantern on her belt. “Oh, I’ve been doin’ it before the rest of the church started. Got called a heretic more than once. But I take the job seriously. I’ve been traveling around the islands reaping lost souls. Someone’s gotta do it.”

I remarked that by the glow of her lantern, she must almost have a full batch to take over to Ukaizo.

She nodded and grinned. “Almost full. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been too long.”

I will forgive her for her eccentricity for her devotion to the cause.

Yours Faithfully,  
Dernsc Cracgyn

 

__  
18 Fonauton, 2830  
Maje Island  
  
High Priestess Saewyn,

I have deeply misjudged this situation. I fear these letters will never reach you and I continue to write out of only desperation. I fear I will not live long enough to finish this one.

Last night, terrible night, wretched night! I awoke to Charim’s scream. Scrambling out of my bedroll, I struggled to light a lantern, then realized it was unnecessary. The light of Xoti’s lantern illuminated our camp well enough. Illuminated her standing over Charim’s bloody body, her sickle dripping with his blood! In her other hand she held aloft his heart, ripped from his chest! 

She took a bite from the heart, blood trickling down her chin. “I’m tryin’ this new thing, Watcher. See if it helps with the soul absorption. Can you feel it? I feel it, the prickling under my skin.” She licked the blood off of her sickle, her eyes unhinged, staring at me, but not at me!

With a cry, Beren Gjyrsc threw himself at her. She sidestepped him and swung him around, her sickle at his throat. “What’re you doing, Edér?” she cooed. “You know I’d never hurt you.” Her sickle traced a bloody line across his jaw. Gjyrsc tried to elbow her in the gut, and the sickle slashed across his neck. He crumpled to the ground.

I cowered back as she turned to look at me. “Look what he made me do, Watcher. Don’t make me do the same to you.” Dropping the chewed heart on the ground, she pulled her lantern from her belt and circled it in the air. Her laugh was the most unholy sound I’ve ever heard. “I think it’s ready, Watcher. Watch me again!”

Xoti pried the door of the lantern open and held it up to her chest. Her hair whipped around in non-existent wind as her eyes started to glow. She screamed, a scream I’ve never heard the likes of before as her skin cracked open, bloody, along her veins. The lantern pulsed as she threw her head back in pain and exhilaration.

Suddenly, the light of her lantern flickered out and she laughed her unholy laugh again. “Damnation, that always hurts worse than playing ball with a beehive.”

“What are you?” I managed to stutter.

“Me?” Her boots squelched in the puddles of blood. “I am The Harvester. The original. Shepherd of souls. Guide to the lost. I keep them safe. Keep them in me. Even if they don’t see it yet, I make them see. You, see, right Watcher? You see them all.”

In the dark, I scrambled to my feet and ran blindly into the night.

Alas, Xoti had not been leading us wrongly and I stumbled into the town of Port Maje. What was left of it! Broken buildings, broken bodies! We have heard no word because there is no one left alive to send word!

I hide in this broken down barn as I hear her out in the street, lantern jangling at her waist. “I feel so, good, Watcher. So good. How can I make you understand?” Her footsteps grow louder. “Won’t you join me? We can be together forever.” She’s getting closer. Eothas save my soul-__.__.

[Here the letter trails off in a spattering of ink and blood.]


End file.
